Compassion and Relief for Complex Illness

A referral from your primary care physician or specialist is the most common starting point, though patients and families can also request palliative care directly. Life Palliative coordinates with your existing care team so nothing about your current treatment changes palliative support is added alongside it. If you're returning home after a hospitalization, your care plan may also include discharge care management to help ensure a smooth transition.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that significantly impacts quality of life, and palliative care's focus on symptom relief, pain management, and emotional support applies directly to conditions like it. Palliative care is not limited to terminal illness; it is appropriate for many serious, complex, or chronic conditions. Patients with multiple ongoing health concerns may also benefit from chronic care management at home as part of a coordinated treatment approach.

There are no officially recognized "five stages" of palliative care. Instead, care evolves as a patient's needs change, beginning with a comprehensive assessment and continuing with symptom management, emotional support, care coordination, advance care planning, and regular follow-up. Depending on the patient's condition, the care team may also coordinate services such as diabetes remote monitoring to help manage ongoing health needs at home.

There is no set length of time for palliative care. Some people receive support for a few weeks after a hospitalization, while others continue for months or even years while living with a chronic or serious illness. The duration depends entirely on the patient's symptoms, goals, and need for ongoing chronic care services.

Palliative care and hospice both focus on improving quality of life, but palliative care can begin at any stage of a serious illness while patients continue receiving treatments aimed at recovery or disease management. Many families choose palliative care because it provides serious illness care at home, helping patients manage symptoms while remaining in familiar surroundings.

Palliative care may be appropriate when a person experiences ongoing pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, frequent hospitalizations, or increasing difficulty managing a serious illness. It can also provide valuable support after a hospital stay through coordinated follow-up care, and in some situations may work alongside services such as urgent care at home to help patients avoid unnecessary emergency room visits.

The decision to begin palliative care is made collaboratively by the patient, their family, and their healthcare providers. A primary care physician, specialist, or hospital team may recommend it based on the patient's symptoms and overall health. Depending on individual needs, the care team may also coordinate services such as wound assessment, diabetic foot care at home, or at-home diagnostic imaging to support treatment without requiring unnecessary travel.